Thursday, May 3, 2012

As devoted as I am to defending philosophy and philosophers against unjust criticism, I'm not opposed to poking fun at philosophers from time to time. Yes, it's true: Some philosophers flaunt their disinterest in empirical science and common sense in ridiculous ways. Here's proof: a humorously scathing review of Colin McGinn's new book, The Meaning of Disgust.

This may be the most entertaining review of a philosophical work I've ever read. Though I'm not sure how well McGinn's book qualifies as philosophy. Here's the bottom line, from the review:

For the rest of us—those who actually care about disgust, or aesthetic emotions, or scholarship at all—the book is bound to disappoint. “Who can deny the mood-destroying effect of an errant ﬂatus just at the moment of erotic fervor?” [McGinn] writes. McGinn’s book is just such a ﬂatus, threatening to spoil an exciting intellectual moment for the rest of us. Sometimes with books, as with farts, it’s better to just hold it in.

As devoted as I am to defending philosophy and philosophers against unjust criticism, I'm not opposed to poking fun at philosophers from time to time. Yes, it's true: Some philosophers flaunt their disinterest in empirical science and common sense in ridiculous ways. Here's proof: a humorously scathing review of Colin McGinn's new book, The Meaning of Disgust.

This may be the most entertaining review of a philosophical work I've ever read. Though I'm not sure how well McGinn's book qualifies as philosophy. Here's the bottom line, from the review:

For the rest of us—those who actually care about disgust, or aesthetic emotions, or scholarship at all—the book is bound to disappoint. “Who can deny the mood-destroying effect of an errant ﬂatus just at the moment of erotic fervor?” [McGinn] writes. McGinn’s book is just such a ﬂatus, threatening to spoil an exciting intellectual moment for the rest of us. Sometimes with books, as with farts, it’s better to just hold it in.